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This progam is the latest addition to Real Results Family of Programs. This program is a collabrative effort between Steve, and myself.

The program uses a limited number of compound moves with a set rep schedule designed for strength increases. You will work the programmed moves in the order in which they are listed. This is a fullbody template worked three days a week, on a Heavy, Light, Medium schedule. There are only 5 moves in this basic program. Other versions of this program will be introduced with slight changes, but the core of the program, Pull, Squat, Press will remain. The program will require a period of conditioning before you will be able to work it to full intensity.

The major obstacle the most people will face is going to be the amount of pulling that you will be performing during the week. Unless you have spent any serious amount of time learning how to Oympic lift, then this aspect is going to be your biggest obstacle.

Most other programs that involve any serious amount of deadlifting don’t have you pulling with the volume that this program will. This is an aspect that is central to the effectiveness of building your posterior chain strength. This is taken into account with the intensity that you will begin pulling at. The numbers may seem low, but don’t be fooled by this, you’re going to be worked hard.

The weekly schedule
Pull, squat, and press. Those three main moves will be worked on an identical set rep schedule through the week. The deadlifts will be worked at a lower overall percent of max than the other two. Even so, you will need time to work into the volume.

Deadlifts will be pulled at 45, 50, 60, 65 percent of estimated max. It is better to start out too light rather than too heavy. Don’t let your ego get the better of you, and pull too heavy of a weight.

Squats, and pressing will be done at 50, 60, 70, 80 percent of estimated max. Again, it is better to start out too light rather than too heavy.

Weekly, daily schedule of sets and reps:

Warmup sets
1x5, 1x5, 1x3

Worksets
4x3Hvy 2x3Lgt 3x3Med

Example:

Monday Heavy day
1x5 1x5 1x3 4x3

Wednesday Light day
1x5 1x5 1x3 2x3*

Friday Medium day
1x5 1x5 1x3 3x3*

• On Wednesday and Friday it is not important to finish the final set if you are not able too. The heavy day work of Monday is the important day to finish all of your work sets.

The two assistance moves. are run straight across the week with no real changes to their scheme.

Dumbell rows 4x6
Dips 5x Bodyweight

Performance considerations

For the three main moves it would be a good idea to start out below 80 percent for the top worksets, and allow a few weeks to build into the program. The compound effect of pulling and squatting together will be a new experience for all but a few. Consider working your top sets at the same weight as your third set to start out. This will have you work at 60 percent for deadlifts, and 70 percent for squatting and pressing. I would also advise that you not add weight to the pulling section for at least a few weeks. I would not add weight aggressively to the pulling section when you do. 5lbs at a time will be plenty of weight to add. If you do add more, then take this into account for your squat worksets. They will be harder to perform. Just allow for this and realize that one affects the other.

I would run the squat cycle initially for about 8 weeks. After that I would run cycles of about 6 weeks. You don’t need to hit a new 1 rep Pr each 6 weeks. Instead try for a new top workset better than the one you had 6 weeks ago. By working smart and managing your intensity you should be able to utilize this progression scheme for a long time. There will be additions and articles on various aspects of performing this program in the near future. There are variations of the basic moves that can be added to the program to supplement the basic version of the program. The base version of the program will take you a long way, but allowing for some flexibility is useful in many regards.

One of the first moves you can add to the program is the inclusion of highpulls to the pulling section. There are various ways you can add this move into the program, and I'll go through them.

Looking at the basic layout of the main moves we have this set rep scheme.

1x5 1x5 1x3 / 4x3 heavy 2x3 light 3x3 medium

I usually leave the heavy day alone and just concentrate on the main moves, and getting those reps completed. That day is hard enough when worked to full intensity as is.

Where I normally add the highpulls, is on the light and medium day.
I normally do a 3x3 on the highpulls for both the light and medium day.

As is always the case start out far lighter, rather than heavier when adding new moves into the program. Any extra added stress has a compound effect on the other moves performed.

Another way to work in the highpulls is to change the last workset portion of the scheme and instead of working it as a variable through the week, work it staight across during the week.

Example:

Deads Performed M/W/F

1x5 1x5 1x3 3x3

Highpulls M/W/F
3x3

You could work the highpulls in this fashion so as to put a little greater emphasis on the move.
You would still want to pull your top deads sets at 65% of estimated max.

If you choose to pursue the 2nd option you should consider working the last workset portion as a 3x3 scheme for a week or two, and get used to the load. You could also just a perform one or two sts of highpulls to start, before going for the full schedule of moves.

I can tell you from personal experience that adding even a little too much weight too fast will have a negative effect on your ability to perform the program. A lot of time was spent looking at just how hard to work on the moves.

We'll talk about the squat portion next.

There are three basic squat moves that were considered for the program.

Back squats
Front squats
Overhead squats

All three of these moves have great benefits to them.

Back squats are the obvious heavy move for squats, but that does not mean tht you can't utillize front squats in a heavy fashion as well. You should in fact work to incorporate both front and back squats into the program and work them equally hard. These two moves performed correctly will build loads of muscle on your frame.

We'll again use the basic set rep matrix of the program

1x5 1x5 1x3 / 4x3hvy. 2x3lgt. 3x3med.

I like to work both front and back squats in the program at the same time. I perform front squats on the first three sets, and back squats on the final heavy worksets of the program.

One of the aspects of putting front squats into the program is how heavy to work the front squats at.
Most people are generally stronger on back squats than on front squats, and front squats hit the quads more directly than backsquats do. I actually dropped my weights back down when I put front squats into the program. Dropping the weights down did not mean dropping the intensity though.

As an example of how I worked the front squats in to my own program.

My back squat sets looked like this.

1x5x155
1x5x185
1x3x205
4x3x255

Adding front squats into the program I went to these weights

Front squats
1x5x135
1x5x155
1x3x185

Back squats
4x3x255,
I was working too hard now at this weight, and losing depth and form. I dropped back to,
4x3x245
This was still hard after the different level of stress the front squats added.

Back squats will stay at 245 for top workset, and front squats will be progressed back up. Once predetermined starter set levels are reached then back squats will again be allowed to progress.
You may even choose to simply cycle which squat you are doing in cycles of say 6-8 weeks at a time.

Again, all of this added work compounds on each other. Extra moves in the pulling section effect how the intensity of the squatting section feels. I've been working highpulls, and front squats in the program, and have started progression on both moves. The numbers you're using to work at look small compared to how hard you are actually working.

In another post we'll look at ways in which you can work your intensity levels and how you can progress your top worksets. Depending on your experience level adding weight may be a simple as adding a few pounds every week or it may require working your top sets up over the course of a few, or 6 weeks.

Take an empty barbell and hold it in front of you with your arms at shoulder width.

The bar should be well below the level of your waist. Now start to widen your grip on the bar. As you do this the bar will travel higher up your body. When your grip is wide enough that the bar is resting at the hinge point of your waist, your grip is wide enough. At this point you shoudl be able to bend over at the waist without having to move the bar.

Remember this grip width. this is how wide you will want to work while performing overhead squats. It may take some time to be able to properly stretch out your upper back and develop the flexability needed to use this movement.

These are going to be by far the weakest squat varient for most people.

I would use them on the light day, combined with front squats.

Overhead squat sets
1x5 1x5 1x3

Front squats
2x3

Overheads will really hit your quads hard. You are forced to remain in a much more upright posture with these. When combined with front squats you will still have a good overall squat workout on your light day.

You're going to need to take your time and build up some strenth to perfom the overheads with any decent amount of weight. Being able to perform a BW squat on the overhead a real accomplishment.

I really like this move and it is a staple move during my warmup before every session. I have not done them in a serous weighted fashion for awhile but they are going back in my routine and will be worked for progression again.

Just as the pulling section has some added volume with the inclusion of the highpulls you could also use the overheads as a finishing move for the squat section.

Example:

Heavy day

Front squats
1x5 1x5 1x3
Back squats
4x3

Light day

Overhead squats
1x5 1x5 1x3
Front squats
2x3
Overhead squats
2x5

Medium day

Front squats
1x5 1x5 1x3
Back squats
3x3
Overhead squats
2x5

You need to be aware of what adding both highpulls and overhead squats into the program 2x aweek is doing. It is adding a whole new level of stess to your upper body work that must be carefully watched.

It is more than likely that you will need to adjust your pressing portion of the program initially until you have become used to the added workload.

Pressing

The pressing aspect of the program is the spot where the program can be most easily thrown out of balance.

Bench pressing

Flat bench has become the go to move for upper body pressing. However flat benching is not my first choice of an upper body pressing move to perform.
I would much rather work a vertical press move before any flat bench move.

This program pulls heavily from olympic style lifting programs, but it does leave room for some variation in how it is performed. Even with that being said, it is important to work the program concentrating on the main focus points.

The incline bench was choosen as a good compromise movement that will still have a good overall amount of chest work when coupled with the dips.

I do not at the current time perform any flat or incline bench movement. I stick to front overhead pressing, and behind the neck pressing. These moves when combined with the highpulls, dumbell rows, and dips are more than enough work for the upper body. All of these moves combined also act to keep a fairly good overall balance in upperbody work.

Pick your upper body pressing wisely and strive to keep good overall balance. The issue I see with far too many people who build their own programs is far to much direct chest work and not nearly enough balance for the upperbody.

Using our program there is a lot of ways to work through the week. You should not be bored on this program especially so with the pressing.

Various pressing moves to be considered

Standing BHNP
Standing front pressing
Incline bench
flat bench

Don't make flat benching your main and only chest move! Use flat benching sparingly and treat it as an assistance move.

You could choose to perform a different pressing move each day of the week.

Monday
Flat bench

Wednesday
BHNP

Friday
Front Pressing or Incline

I prefer to vertical press as a main move, and add a set or two of flat benching.
The Reeves program is set up like this and it works quite welll. Many golden age programs were perfomed like this. The people who have worked the Reeves can attest that working like this works well.

I personally find that front pressing combined with dips is plenty of chest work. We'll talk more about the dips in a different post.

I perform my pressing by doing front pressing for the first three sets, and BHNP for the last worksets. I'll swap these moves around from time to time, but vertical pressing always takes priority in my program.

There are mechanical aspects to performing pressing that need to be talked about. We'll talk about those aspects in more depth a little later. These aspects are a topic that everybody should be aware of anyway.

These two articles talk about issues that a lot of people have. Both of these are also listed in the overhead squat post.

Performing the program using this template is a lot of work. You should have worked through at least eight weeks of the basic version before adding in this extra volume, or have worked other fullbody routines for a period of time.

While it may not appear to be that much work it actual performance it is.

Another question that keeps coming up is utilizing cleans and or hang cleans in the program. Can they de done? The answer is yes they can be done, and are a great move to use.

If you're going to use full or hang cleans in the program then I would use them in place of the deads on the medium intensity day. If you want to put them into the program full time that is also a viable option. However to employ them fulltime will require a different approach that will be talked about in a different post.

Adding chinups to the program

In an earlier version of the program I did chinups as one of the finishing moves.
Chins are still a great move to include in the program, but I would do them last, after the other two moves have already been completed.

You won't be able to do very many if you're working the rest of the program as hard as you should be, but that is not really important. Even just doing a few will still give you some good benefits.

While we are talking about some of the assistance work I want to talk about the dips.

THE DIPS SHOULD NOT BE DONE WEIGHTED!

There is no reason to add weight to the dips. If you are working as hard as you should be on the main portion of the program then you should be well worked already. The dips can thought of as a good dynamic stretch after the main workout. Think of them also as a flush move for your upper body.

Don't add weight to them. You have already worked hard enough, you don't need another weighted move at this point in the program. Just keep doing them as is and you will see the benefiits of the move.

Progression ideas.

The question kepps getting asked:

When you add weight do you add weight to all the sets or only to the top worksets?

The answer is that you do both.

Adding weight to all the sets or only adding weight to the tp worksets depends on where you are in the cycle and what you feel you can do. There is not a one size fits all answer to this question. You need to evaluate your progress on the program and be an active participant in your workouts.

Keep a good log of what you're doing from workout to workout and have a progression plan in mind.

Lets look at a few examples, Again, I'll use my own numbers and how I'm planning on working progression.

As I've said this program was pulled from an olympic lifting methodology. That is why the deads are kept at the lower numbers but pulled with more volume.

I tried to be clear about the fact that you must increase weight slowly on the pulling aspects of the program. Going up 5lbs evenly across the whole pulling section of deads will have an effect on your squat work without changing the weights used.

My pulling numbers

1x5x135
1x5x155
1x3x185
4x3x205

I'll be adding weights evenly to the sets on this move.

A few weeks back I added 15lbs to the first set and 5lbs to the top workset.

This did not work!

We spent a lot of time working the numbers to get the percent worked out, as to how hard to work on the pulling section.

I was able to work at these numbers for about 2 weeks before it was just too much. Now that I've worked for 8 weeks on the program and the pulling secton is not feeling like any strain at all, I feel that I can again start to add a little weight.

I'll add 5lbs to all the worksets. This does not seem like much, but when you add up the poundage increase per session and through the week it is a lot more weight lifted.

For one session it is 125lbs more
for the week it is 320lbs extra

Thats if we just add 5lbs to one move. Add 5lbs to each main move and the weight lifted during the week is nearly 1000lbs more. Thats a lot of extra work

A situation where you might only add weight to the top sets is after a few cycles and you have reset your weights.

You may decide to leave your top worksets at your current weight and move up your lower weights first.

Doing this will give you time to adjust to the new warmup weights, but it is still going to affect how hard you are working for the top sets. You have worked harder before them, so they will be harder as a consequence.

After a few weeks when you feel ready you would then start to add a little weight to the top worksets.

4x3x245 add 5lbs
Work for a few weeks at,
4x3x250, add 5lbs
work for a few weeks
4x3x255 add 5lbs

This last situation would work well for both the squatting and pressing section, but would not be a good idea for the pulling section.

The pulling section needs to be progressed slowly. Try to move it too fast and you'll feel it. Eventually you will be able to work a bit faster on the pulling section but there is no need to rush it.

The compound effect of the pulling and the squats together is a lot of work.